


Changeling Times

by Shadymissionary



Category: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Mystery
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-10
Updated: 2018-02-09
Packaged: 2019-03-16 02:07:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13626318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadymissionary/pseuds/Shadymissionary
Summary: It's been years since the failed Changeling invasion, and they now live alongside ponies under a new ruler. Things are relatively peaceful, but some ponies can't let go of the mistrust.Mistrust breeds hate.Hate breeds violence.And six friends who once were heroes find themselves divided between coexistence and terrorism.





	Changeling Times

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is a couple years old, pre season 5, but I feel it's worth looking at. Let me know what you think.

Rarity blinked when the sun came into her eyes. She reluctantly rubbed the sleep from her face and stepped out of her bed. What time was it? It couldn’t have been THAT early already…ah well. Whatever time it was, she’d had her beauty sleep and was looking forward to another day. Besides, she’d recently accepted a big commission and the sooner she got started the better. 

Rarity cleaned herself up, styling her mane to perfection. Even with the commission she had to work on, she could expect a lot of unexpected guests today, and she wanted to look her absolute best for all of them. A lot of things had changed in the last few years, but the Carousel Boutique was still the premier dressmaking emporium in Ponyille, if not all of Equestria. Rarity wouldn’t dream of giving anypony …or anyling…service that was subpar in the slightest!

Once she cleaned up, she opened the door to her room and saw Hoity Toity standing there. “Rarity, where is my order? I haven’t got all day!” he demanded, glowering at her.

Letting out a most unladylike shriek, Rarity started babbling hurriedly. “Oh my goodness what are you doing here the suits you ordered are not readytheywontbereadyforanotherdaythatswhatthecontractstatedwait.” Rarity blinked, looked very carefully at the calender and took a very, very deep breath. “Please don’t do that again. It was not funny the first time, and it’s not funny now.”

The grey earth pony with the silver mane couldn’t resist a chortle. “Ohohohoh. You still fall for it every time. You really should know better at this point.”

Rarity shook her head. “And you should know how to do a proper Canterlot laugh at this point.” The seamstress promptly used her magic to levitate several bits of thread and cloth. “Anyway, we should get started right away.”

Groaning slightly, Hoity stood still as the fabric danced around him. Knowing how Rarity worked, he’d be stuck here all day. Fabric was pressed on and off, the sewing needles nearly poked him multiple times, and Rarity never seemed satisfied with the color scheme. Then again, knowing the client, it was a good idea to err on the side of caution.

“No..no…no…goodness, no.” Rarity shook her head. Suddenly noticing the earth pony’s rather sour look, Rarity gave him a smile. “You have no idea how much this helps me. Don’t worry, I’m on the right track. But if you want to take a break…”

Hoity’s expression relaxed. “Oh no, it’s fine. It’s nothing I can’t handle. It’s just…I don’t know, this still feels rather silly to me.”

Rarity blinked. “How so?”

“Just…the whole notion of…clothes. The only ponies who really wear them are those Canterlot ponies, and it’s just another way for them to show off. Oh, look at me! I’m wearing this tight suit that will get irreparably ruined if I step on a puddle, and costs more than you make in a year, just because I can afford it! Yup! And since YOU aren’t wearing it, you are lesser than me!”

Rarity shook her head, reexamining her thread. “Well…I suppose there are ponies like that in Canterlot. But there’s nothing wrong with ponies wanting to look nice. Besides, there’s a lot of ponies with the same color and mane, and they want to be separated from the crowd in a way. Yes…this color will work.” Rarity remarked, fixing a button on the vest she had been crafting. “But…I suppose you wouldn’t really understand that.”

‘Hoity’ shrugged. “No, I guess not. I guess I never will.” The earth pony winced as the button accidentally poked his skin. “I once linked with a convert who simply wouldn’t go outside until every bit of her appearance was absolutely perfect. I think the only reason she converted was to make that sort of thing ‘easier’ to do.”

Rarity blinked. “Really?”

“Yeah.” The model rolled her eyes. “You’d be amazed at how many ‘Canterlot Elite’ converted just for that. “ A thought came to him. “Have you ever considered it?”

Rarity shook her head. “No. I always felt that beauty meant much more when it’s real. If it becomes too easy to make yourself lovely, it loses it’s value. Mmm-hmm. Yes, now I’m on the right track!” Rarity had the perfect design in mind. “It’s funny you should mention it, though. Sweetie almost volunteered.”

Hoity raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

“Yes. Apple Bloom had tried to talk her into it. I believe she was thinking along the lines of ‘I can finally help my sister by just standing in one place like I always have to do!’ Aheh…heh…” Realizing what she might've implied, Rarity gave her model an awkward smile. “I told her to really think if that was what she wanted. If she thought that her purpose was to join the hive. She decided to wait until she got her Cutie Mark before making a decision.”

“Fair enough.” Hoity agreed. 

Finally, it was finished. Rarity stepped back to admire her work. “Yes, this is perfect! Just perfect! One down, three to go.”

Hoity sighed with both relief and dread as the suit was removed. “Wonderful. Now, whose next?”

Rarity shuffled through the photos she had taken of her clients and eventually found the next client. The picture hovered in front of Hoity Toity, who stared at it critically. 

“Measurements?”

“Ummmm…” Rarity’s flipbook appeared out of nowhere. “37-89-42.”

Satisfied with what he knew, Hoity vanished in a flash of green fire. When Rarity blinked, the place ‘Hoity’ had once stood was now occupied by a tall red mare, with green hair and a cutie mark of sewing needles. ‘She’ smirked. “This about right?”

“Perfect as always, Mannekin.”

The ‘mare’ nodded. ‘Mannekin’ was not his designated name, just a nickname Rarity had given him when he came into her service. Some of the Hive considered it an insult, but he didn’t mind. Despite his grumblings, he enjoyed working here, if only to chuckle at the overly complicated ways ponies tried to make themselves prettier. 

“Hey…can I ask a question?” Mannekin inquired as the fabric swirled around him. 

“Of course you may.”

“If your sister had converted, would you have been okay with it?”

Rarity paused. That was a good question. Of course, an easy answer came to her, but she knew it wasn’t really the truth. 

“I…I’d like to think I would’ve, but I don’t know…I had…mixed feelings when I heard about Pinkie…after everything that’s happened…” she reluctantly admitted. 

Mannekin suddenly felt ashamed for bringing it up. “I’m…sorry. We all are. We all wish things had been different.”

The sewing materials froze in the air as Rarity looked away. “She was going to be released today...and then, there was that attack a month ago…it’s still hard to wrap my head around that…” the mare had to shake her head clear. “I’m sorry…it’s not good to reflect on the past. Not like this. Not when there’s so much to do.”

“When, then?”

“I don’t know. Maybe tomorrow. I’ll go see Fluttershy at the nursery tomorrow. It’s been too long since I saw her, and after what happened she could really use a…”

Without warning, Mannekin jolted. His eyes widened and his disguise burned away. His true form, a black chitinous creature with tattered wings and green eyes, appeared in a flash. It happened so suddenly that Rarity jumped back. The Changeling simply stood there for a few minutes, listening to a voice that Rarity couldn't hear. His eyes twitched...whatever he'd heard, it wasn't good.

Rarity had seen this once before. “Mannekin? What is it? Is that another all-hive alarm? What happened?”

Mannekin took a second to compose himself and shook his head clear. Looking at Rarity with his real eyes, he sighed sadly. “I got some bad news.”


End file.
